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Winter 1985 Alumni Newsleller of Chemical Sciences University of Ill in cis at Urbana-Champaign Winter 1985 Alumni NewsleLLer of Chemical Sciences The Future for Chemical Engineering Chuck Eckert, Head, Department of Chemical Engine~ring Chemical Engineering is maturing as arations, going to more extreme con­ a profession, and it is imperative for ditions or going back into the syn­ us to evaluate dearly our goals and thetic fuel business. In these situa­ opportunities for the next decades. tions, the efficiency of our processes After a growth boom in the 70s, enroll­ will depend very strongly on the ments in chemical engineering cur­ catalysts we can use to create changes, ricula have peaked, both nationally and the materials that will let us work and here at Illinois. We must recog­ under the best possible conditions. nize the changing needs of industry - Microelectronics Fabrication. The and society in order to reshape our translation of the achievements of educational process to the new, solid state physics into useful devices emerging technologies, and see depends on the fabrication process, where the broad training of the chem­ much of which is nothing more than ical engineer can make the greatest a series of problems in mass transfer. conhibutions. This should be re­ Many chemical engineers are already flected both in our curriculum and in getting into the "chip" business and our students' employment patterns. making major contributions. Let me highlight some of the areas - Computers. Optimizing our use of that I think will be important: computers will be crucial in the chem­ Speed Marvel at his retirement, - Biotecllllology. Everybody is talking ical process industry since experimen­ January 1961 about biotechnology, and although it tal research is becoming so expensive. has not produced much yet, sooner Today's sophisticated computers or later it will. Chemical engineers' make it frequently possible to do 'S Marvelous contributions in this area will range meaningful simulations at a fraction from gene-splicing to increased utili­ of the cost, and in a fraction of the "Speed" Marvel stopped for a few zation of natural products as chemical time, of the laboratory or pilot plant days in Urbana last November for the feedstocks. Certainly in the field of experiment. In addition, computer third lecture in the Marvel series, separation technology we will have to aided design (CAD) will certainly be given by renowned scientist Professor learn better methods of extracting val­ a growth area because of the changes Albert Eschenmoser, of the Swiss Fed­ uable biological products from very in our traditional sources of raw mat­ eral Institute of Technology. Dr. Mar­ dilute solutions. Further applications erials and the enormous capital invest­ vel, who has just celebrated his 90th will come in the processing of food ment for new large-scale processes. birthday, was on his way from and pharmaceuticals. CAD methods also provide a great Arizona to consult at DuPont and visit - Separations. With all of the leverage to our ability to evaluate a the University of Pennsylvania. He feedstocks available in the Middle wide variety of complex options and told colleagues "when you can't play East, much of the heavier commodity make wise engineering decisions. anymore, you might as well work." chemical business may move there. If - Environmental Control. The recent Visitors to the lecture included Mar­ America is to maintain a strong pre­ disaster at Bhopal has certainly vel's son, John, now manager of re­ sence in the chemical process indus­ heightened both public and political search at Monsanto Agricultural Prod­ try, we will have to become experts awareness, even fear, of environmen­ ucts Co. in St. Louis, and a friend of in specialty chemicals. The big con­ tal hazards. Chemical engineers have long standing, Dr. Schreiber, Ph.D. tribution chemical engineers will the double challenge in the future not 1935, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. make here is in novel separation pro­ only of maintaining a safe environ­ The Carl Shipp Marvel Lecture in cesses and perhaps processing under ment, but also of communicating re­ Organic Chemistry is supported by extreme conditions. sponsible information about this to the contributions of friends and - Materials and Catalysis. In the fu­ the public. alumni to the C.S. Marvel Fund - ture, we will be treating biological This is certainly not an all-inclusive University of Illinois Foundation. products, doing more involved sep- continued on page 2 COiltilliiCd list, but I think it is sufficient to show We are introducing new courses in tional areas, and above all, we are that we have a lot of work ahead of areas ranging from electrochemical teaching our students how to learn, us. We have to couple our traditional engineering and catalysis, to micro­ so that they may continue to grow training with previews of a variety of electronics, polymers and optimiza­ throughout their careers. new fields, and the faculty of our de­ tion. We are seeking new faculty to partment is striving to do this now. broaden us in some of the non-tradi- The Faculty ___________ AIChE Award to Westwater Fusion Research to Elemental Analysis? Dr. Alexander Scheeline and co­ available for generating megadeg­ workers at Illinois are turning a ree temperatures. Construction is device originally conceived as a reasonably inexpensive since "lef­ high-temperature source to induce tovers" from the building of fusion thermonuclear reactions into a new research facilities can serve as com­ instrument for elemental chemical ponents for pinch sources. analysis of high melting solids. The Initially, Scheeline found the theta pinch, a magnetically com­ emission data disappointing, since pressed and heated plasma dis­ plasma compression and heating charge, was invented at Los were insufficient to adequately Alamos National Laboratory in sample anything higher-melting 1948. It allowed measurements to than aluminum. A redesigned com­ be made on low pressure plasmas pression coil allowed delivery of a with tern pera tures of millions of de­ greater fraction of the stored electri­ grees. However, if deuterium is cal energy to the plasma and dis­ excluded from the discharge, there charges are now being produced is insufficient energy to allow !my with one kilojoule being dissipated nucJear reaction, and the high tem­ in 100 microseconds. Useful analyt­ peratures that remain can be put to ica1 data on emission from use to vaporize and excite atomic ceramics, stainless steels and other vapor from a variety of materials. "difficult" samples are expected According to Dr. Scheeline, "the shortly. fames Westwater history of emission spectroscopy Research groups at three other indicates that every time a hotter universities (Michigan, Vermont James Westwater has won the 1984 discharge has been designed, and South Carolina) are also study­ Founders Award of the American In­ analytical behavior has improved. ing the use of pinch discharges. All stitute of Chemical Engineers, pre­ Chemical interferences have de­ principal investigators can trace sented at the November meeting of creased and reliability has in­ their lineage to the University of the Society in San Francisco. The creased." From this point of view, IlJinois through the common award recognizes outstanding con­ the use of a theta pinch for chemical 'academic ancestory' of Professor tributions to the profession of chemi­ analysis makes sense, as the theta Emeritus Howard V. Malmstadt. cal engineering and is traditionally pinch is one of the simplest devices given to members whose careers of scholarly achievement have been com­ bined with long and distinguished service in both technical and profes­ phase transitions, and for his defini­ institute, including the Walker Award sional activities. tive studies on boiling heat transfer. and the Conference Award, and is a Dr. Westwater joined the Chemical In 1972, Dr. Westwater won the co­ member of the National Academy of Engineering faculty at Illinois in 1948 veted Max Jacob Award administered Engineering. and was head of the department from by the American Society of Mechani­ 1962-1980. He is renowned for his cal Engineers and the American Insti­ work in the area of heat transfer, spec­ tute of Chemical Engineers. He has ifically the heat effects accompanying earned several other awards from the 2 Harry Drickamer, John Scott Medalist Emeritus Professors Honored ------ Harry Drickmner Invi1z C. Gunsa/us Howard Malmstadt Harry Drickamer, professor of chemi­ For half a century, Irwin Clyde Gun­ Howard Malmstadt, professor cal engineering, chemistry and salus, professor emeritus at Illinois emeritus of chemistry at the Univer­ physics at the University of Illinois, and one of the nation's leading biolog­ sity of Illinois, was the 1984 recipient was chosen to receive the 1984 City ical scientists, has pioneered research of the ACS Analytical Division Award of Philadelphia John Scott Award, in microbial biochemistry and molecu­ for Excellence in Teaching, sponsored given for exceptional discoveries in lar biology. In October, 1984, in recog­ by the Procter and Gamble Company. science and technology. nition of his work, Gunsalus was One of his former students has said Drickamer was cited for the "de­ awarded an honorary doctor of sci­ that Malmstadt's "enthusiasm, bril­ velopment of high-pressure tuning of ence degree from Indiana University, liance and jovial spirit undoubtedly electronic orbitals," a concept de­ where he held a professorship in bac­ led numerous graduate students to­ veloped through his use of high pres­ teriology from 1947-1950. He was cre­ ward academic life." As a result, al­ sure to study electronic phenomena. dited with "designing innovative ap­ most a third of Malmstadt's 62 Ph.D. The fundamental thesis of Professor proaches to biological experimenta­ graduate students have gone on to Drickamer's research is that high pres­ tion and inspiring students and col­ academic positions at major univer­ sure is a powerful and essential vari­ leagues to pursue research of distin­ sities in the U.S.
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